Lyndon Dykes says helping Scotland reach a first World Cup since 1998 would go some way to softening the pain of being ruled out of last year’s European Championship.
Scotland can secure automatic qualification for next summer’s finals if they take at least a point in Piraeus against Greece on Saturday and then beat Denmark at Hampden Park three days later. Steve Clarke’s side are already guaranteed at least a play-off place after an unbeaten run in Group C.
Dykes, the Birmingham City striker, missed the Euros following a training-ground incident during the pre-tournament camp and was unavailable for Scotland in Germany. He says the experience still stings. “I want to play as many games for Scotland as possible. I want to make as many tournaments as possible and obviously missing out on the Euros was a big blow,” he reflected, adding that the way it happened made it harder to accept.
Now 30, Dykes — who was two when Scotland last played at a World Cup — describes the chance to go to North America as a dream. “To play in a World Cup, personally, I never even thought I’d have the opportunity to do that. It’s such an amazing thing,” he said. “We’ve had back-to-back Euros and now the next thing is a World Cup. Everyone wants that — the players, the staff, the whole nation.”
Scotland’s campaign so far includes wins over Belarus (twice), a home victory against Greece and a goalless draw away to Denmark. They sit level with Denmark on 10 points, with Greece seven points adrift and two fixtures remaining.
Asked about pressure, Dykes played it down for now but admitted nerves are inevitable given what’s at stake. “I wouldn’t say there is any pressure at the moment. We’ve done great in these group stages,” he said. “When the time comes I’m sure the boys and the whole squad will have a little bit of nerves because we know how big these games are. The players we’ve got have played in massive games — pressure comes with this sport.”
He pointed to the Serbia play-off that sent Scotland to Euro 2020 as a key moment for the group’s character. That experience, he said, showed the squad it could handle big occasions and grow from them. “Ever since that situation we just kind of grew from there. We know we can always get through things as a team,” Dykes added.
Scotland squad
Goalkeepers: Scott Bain (Falkirk), Craig Gordon (Hearts), Liam Kelly (Rangers).
Defenders: Josh Doig (Sassuolo), Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic).
Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ben Gannon Doak (Bournemouth), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Connor Barron (Rangers), Andy Irving (West Ham).
Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Birmingham), George Hirst (Ipswich), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts).
Scotland’s remaining World Cup qualifiers:
Greece (A) — November 15
Denmark (H) — November 18
With qualification within reach, Dykes and his teammates will be aiming to turn the momentum of their unbeaten group run into the first Scottish World Cup appearance in nearly three decades.